1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to copying or moving a file in an information processing device such as a personal computer (PC). Specifically, the present invention relates to an information processing method, an information processing program and an information processing device for copying or moving a file.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a file is copied or moved in an information processing device such as a PC, in case there is a file of the same name in a copy or movement destination folder (or directory), a method is used that file information is displayed and it is inquired whether the file of a copy (or movement) source is made to overwrite on the file of the same name, etc. to make a user select whether to overwrite. Here, copying a file is a process of copying a file of a copy source into a copy destination folder. Copying a file results in existence of identical files of the same name in the copy source and copy destination. Moving a file is a process that after copying a file, the file of a copy source is erased and only a file of a copy destination is left. The moving process differs from the copying process in the point whether the file remains in the copy source. Overwriting a file is a process of overwriting a file of a copy source on a file existing in a copy destination.
Concerning such information processing, there are methods that: in a process of copying an image data file between different recording media, if there is a file of the same name in a recording medium of a copy destination and data contents thereof are identical, the copying process is stopped. If the data contents are different, the file is written after its file name is changed (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2003-296162 (paragraph Nos. 0007, 0034 to 0037, FIG. 6, etc.)); to prevent a file from being erroneously overwritten, an entity part of a file to be transmitted from a digital camera to a server is copied and a new file is generated. The new file is given a different file name from a source file name. The new file name has a variation part where an increasing number according to transmission frequency is given. Therefore, the server recognizes the new file as individual one (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2002-207621 (paragraph Nos. 0062, 0063, 0066, 0067, 0069, 0070, FIGS. 16, 23, etc.)).
In an information processing device such as a PC, the process of copying (or moving) a file is executed, e.g., by a program shown in FIG. 1 with using a dialog box 2 shown in FIG. 2. After the process of copying (or moving) a file is started, as shown in FIG. 1, a determination process whether a file of the same name exists in a copy destination is executed (step S1); if there is a file of the same name (YES at step S1), the dialog box 2 (FIG. 2) is displayed on a display connected to the information processing device (step S2).
In this case, since a file of the same name exists in the copy destination, it is displayed as file information on the dialog box 2 that “Confirm Overwriting File” on a title bar 4, an icon 6 representative of the process of copying or moving a file, icons 8 and 10 representative of files, “This folder already contains a file named ‘patent.doc’.”,
“Would you like to overwrite the existing file                19.0 KB        updated: 21 Jul. 2004, 17:20:00        
with this one?                19.0 KB        updated: 21 Jul. 2004, 15:30:00”as file size and update dates and times thereof, for example, and icons 12, 14, 16 and 18 for inputting a response at a bottom line. It is displayed that on the icon 12, “Yes (Y)” representative of an affirmation input, on the icon 14, “Yes to All (A)” representative of an affirmation input, on the icon 16, “No (N)” representative of a negation input and on the icon 18, “Cancel” representative of an input for cancelling the process. The display enables a user to recognize the file information visibly, and to know there is the file of the same name in the copy destination folder. The user can also respond for selecting one of the desired icons 12 to 18 by moving a cursor 20 displayed on the dialog box 2 with being superimposed, and can execute a process corresponding to the response.        
In this case, determination described below is done; determination of selection of “No (N)” (step S3); unless “No (N)” is selected (NO at step S3), determination of selection of “Yes (Y)” (step S4); unless “Yes (Y) is selected (NO at step S4), determination of selection of “Yes to All (A)” (step S5); unless “Yes to All (A)” is selected (NO at step S5), determination of selection of “Cancel” (step S6). If “Cancel” is selected (YES at step S6), the process ends.
In such process, unless there is a file of the same name in the copy destination folder (NO at step S1), copying is executed to another destination (copy or movement destination) folder (step S7). The copying is executed, for example, by creating an empty file in the copy destination folder where the file of the copy source is overwritten. In this case, incase of moving a file, the file of the copy source is erased (step S8), and the process ends.
In the dialog box 2, if “No (N)” is selected (YES at step S3), the process ends. If “Yes (Y)” is selected (YES at step S4) in the dialog box 2, overwriting is done on the file of the copy destination (step S9), and the process moves to step S8. If “Yes to All (A)” is selected (YES at step S5) in the dialog box 2, overwriting is done on the file of the copy destination (step S10), and the process moves to step S8. Unless “Cancel” is selected (NO at step S6), the process returns to step S3 and the process described above can be selected.
As stated above, file information can be referred to in confirmation and determination of overwriting a file with using the dialog box 2. That is effective in case the number of treated files is small and the amount of file distribution between PCs is small. However, there is a limit inevitably in case of file treatment, that is, exchange of files attached to electric mail that is sent and received frequently, treatment of many files downloaded from web sites, of many image files such as photos of a digital camera and of many files stored separately in a plurality of PCs that one user has. It is troublesome to respond one by one to an inquiry whether to overwrite when many files are integrated.
As for copying or moving a file, there is a technical art that files are distinguished by their dates and times, and newer one is left. For example, concerning files storing photos of a digital camera, since there is a case that although files of the same name exist, contents thereof are different, in integration, both of the files of the same name must be left. In such case, a process is insufficient for file management that an inquiry whether to overwrite or leaving only a file of the latest date and time without confirmation of file contents.
The background of existing files of the same name and contents is that people use PCs in their own way. For example, a user stores image files of a digital camera in a disc of a PC. When using the file with processing, since the user does not want to lose them because of miss-operation, etc., the same files are stored in a plurality of folders including network files, or copied files are stored in hard discs of a plurality of PCs. If one user uses many PCs, the case may occur that not only such backup, but also storing a plurality of files as well in order to offer the files for an edit or use without limit of time and location.
An edit called a retouch such as color adjustments, resizing and trimming is general for camera images. If a file is processed according to a situation where the file is used, information such as resolution of the original file is lost, and the original file is requested to be left with a processed file. To supplement failure during the edit, the existence of the original file is valuable. There is also meaning of leaving a processed file at each stage in case the file is processed in several stages. It is performed in general to store a processed file at each stage in another folder. In this case, files of the same name and different contents exist.
If a user uses a plurality of PCs according to the desired time and location, etc., it meets the user's request that the same files are stored in various places, moreover there is no distinction between the same files whether to be a master or backup, and a file in a folder can be processed in proper time. This may be the reason why files of the same name and different contents exist at the same time.
In a digital camera, a file of the same name is generated by a reset process. It cannot be ignored that if the reset process is performed as well in a plurality of digital cameras, many files of the same name are generated.
In sending and receiving a file attached to electronic mail and a file with using an HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) server, etc., it is general that a file of the same name and contents but different update date and time is generated in a receiver side.
About a file edited in a folder, some users feel difficulty distinguishing the original file from a processed file as time has passed. If a totally different photo is stored in a file of the same name, or a file of different update date and time and the same contents is generated, distinction thereof is more difficult.
In case that files having existed for a long time or files in a state of confusion are arranged to be integrated, some users request to store a file of the same name but different contents as another file. Other users also request to unify files attached to electronic mail, etc. in integration even if each file has different update date and time.
There is no disclosure or suggestion about such requests and problems in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication Nos. 2003-296162 and 2002-207621, and no structure to solve them is disclosed or suggested therein.